


The Piano

by WarriorFoxtail



Category: Let's Play (Webcomic)
Genre: Business Trip, Childhood Memories, F/M, Memories, Piano, playing while no one's watching, pls let Sam hear him play
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:41:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24221506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WarriorFoxtail/pseuds/WarriorFoxtail
Summary: While away on a business trip, Charles comes across a piano in an empty room and plays a while unaware of the audience he's drawn
Relationships: Charles Jones/Sam Young (Let's Play)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 41





	The Piano

It wasn’t very often on business trips that Charles got a peaceful moment to himself. Usually, his time was filled with meetings or paperwork. But today, with all the meetings done and the paperwork finished Charles allowed himself a chance to breathe easy. He walked at a leisurely pace through the halls of the grand hotel, simply admiring the scenery. Their last meeting had been a success and to celebrate, Charles had suggested dinner on the terrace. And while Sam got ready, Charles elected to go down ahead and place the reservation. Now he wandered the halls waiting for Sam to meet him.

As he passed by an empty banquet hall and peeked in, he paused. The room was relatively small compared to the others, and currently lit only by the late afternoon light pouring in through the large windows along the far wall. And sitting near the window on a slightly elevated stage was a beautiful grand piano. He eyed it curiously. The hood was up, revealing newly polished keys that glinted in the sun. He glanced around. There wasn’t anyone in the immediate vicinity. Surely no one would mind if he were to… investigate.

He silently strode into the room, looking around casually. This room was likely used for smaller parties he guessed. A tile dance floor lay in the center of the room and his shoes tapped softly over the laminated plastic as he walked past it towards the piano. Climbing the two small steps, he slowed to examine it. His hand slid from his pocket and he gently ran his fingers along the keys. They were smooth and cool to the touch.

As if by instinct, his hand gravitated to the C major position. One by one, he pressed and held the keys down, then played them again in a soft run. He smiled slightly at hearing the melodious harmony.  _ Well tuned, _ he thought to himself. Sliding his hand to a different key position, he began to play another melody. Without thinking, his other hand slid from his other pocket and joined in with a gentle harmony. As he continued playing, he slowly lowered himself onto the bench. His foot moved to pedals just in time to continue the tune.

How long had it been since he’d last touched a piano? Months? Years? He couldn’t recall. But as his fingers continued to hit each note with perfect precision, he found it felt good to just lose himself in the music for a while. It had been far too long. As the music began to pick up, he didn’t notice a certain brunette watching him from the doorway.

Sam looked around as she stepped off the elevator. Stretching up on her toes a little she tried to catch a glimpse of white gold across the lobby. No luck. “Hmm,” she hummed softly to herself.  _ Where’d he go? _ She knew he wouldn’t have gone very far without her so he had to be somewhere nearby.

As she walked through the lobby, the concierge noticed her searching and called softly to her. “Can I help you find something, Miss?”

Sam turned to face the young woman behind the desk. “Oh! Uh, I’m just looking for someone,” she explained quickly.

The woman thought for a moment. “Well, I did see a taller gentleman with blonde hair wander that way a few minutes ago,” she supplied, pointing off down a corridor.

Sam perked up at that. “Oh! Ok, thank you!”

The concierge smiled politely. “No problem!”

With that, Sam turned and headed off down the corridor. She passed by a couple of empty rooms, peeking into each as she went. Then something caught her ear. She turned in the direction of the sound curiously. It sounded like a piano.  _ This hall is almost completely deserted, _ she thought to herself.  _ I wonder who could be playing. _

As she approached the door to another empty banquet hall, the sound grew louder. For a moment, she paused to just enjoy the music. Whoever was playing was very good at it. And for some reason, the melody brought a strange emotion with it. She couldn’t quite give it a name, but the emotion was a strong one. It felt almost nostalgic, but with a hint of sadness. Melancholy was the closest she could come to describing it.

Finally, she broke out of her trance long enough to peek inside, and her eyes widened at what she saw.

The melody came to Charles like an old photograph out of a dust-covered album, worn from time but never truly forgotten. It was an old welsh song and one of the first he’d learned to play on the piano. The memories of his mother’s smiling face as he practiced it for her flashed through his mind and he smiled softly. He recalled the pride on his grandfather’s face when he’d finally perfected the piece. It had become a favorite of his grandfather’s and he would play it often for him.

The smile faded slightly as Charles recalled his grandfather’s funeral. He had played this same tune for him for the last time, and as Charles hit the final notes, a bittersweet feeling washed over him. One song, so many memories. As the notes faded, so too did the gentle ache in his chest. He sighed softly. Then a gentle voice pulled him from his thoughts.

“Charles?”

He turned his head to the voice and froze for only a moment at seeing Sam slowly approaching the stage. He stood from the bench and cleared his throat, adjusting his tie a little. “Miss Young. Forgive me, I didn’t hear you approach.”

Sam smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry if I interrupted you.”

He smiled softly at her. “Not at all. I was just… passing the time while I waited for you.”

Sam eyed the piano then smiled up at him shyly. “I didn’t know you could play,” she said as he stepped off the stage to meet her.

He chuckled softly. “Yes. I used to play as a boy, but it has been many years.”

“You sounded amazing. That was a really beautiful song.”

The gentle smile returned. “It was one of my grandfather’s favorites.”

Sam noticed the look of sadness that flashed through his eyes and decided against pressing for details for now. He’d tell her when he was ready. Instead she smiled sweetly at him.

He sighed softly before turning a dazzling smile towards her. “But let’s not worry about that now. We have a dinner to get to.”

Sam smiled and nodded. “Then we’d better go.”

Wordlessly, Charles offered her his arm. Sam flushed at the action but accepted it nonetheless and together, they left the banquet hall~


End file.
